News

Runway construction “will cause delays” at San Francisco International

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has announced the closure of a runway for 20 days starting on Saturday, 7 September.

Construction on Runway 28L is federally funded and will be undertaken by Golden Gate Constructors. The work involves removal of the existing runway layers to create a base layer underneath the surface.

Some 13% of flights have been cancelled at SFO during the construction period, and many flights previously planned at peak times have been rescheduled to ease the strain on the runways.

In a press release, SFO says average flight delays are due to last between 30 and 45 minutes, with a two-hour maximum.

SFO notes that short-haul flights will be the most affected, and passengers travelling on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday will be most likely to encounter delays, as they are the airport’s busiest days.

As well as interference at the airport, construction trucks are expected to cause disruption at the intersection of Millbrae Avenue and Old Bayshore Highway. Lane closures may occur due to construction activity.

At the peak of construction, 600 truck deliveries are expected across a 24-hour period.

Despite the inconvenience, work was selected to take place during September to avoid disruption to the summer and year-end holiday seasons.

Image: An aerial view of San Francisco Airport (Fred Bartholomew/Dreamstime)